Calf puller



Oct. 6, 1953 w. L. MATTESON, JR 2,654,368

CALF FULLER Filed Sept. 28, 1951 INVENTOR #W 29 22 2 ATTORNEYS PatentedOct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE 2,654,368 CALF PULLER Worth L.Matteson, J r., Foreman, Ark.

Application September 28, 1951, Serial No. 248,820

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to animal husbandry, and more particularly todevices for assisting delivery of calves.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedcalving device which is simple in construction, which is easy tooperate, and with which pressure may be applied to a cow during pullingof its calf in a novel manner such that delivery of the calf isfacilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved calvingdevice which involves inexpensive components, which is sturdy inconstruction, which is easy to set up, and which provides pressure tothe rump of the cow in a manner facilitatin delivery of the calf andreducing the time required to extract the calf from the cow.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claim, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- V Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing themanner in which the improved device of the present invention is appliedto a cow to assist calving.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross sectional view taken throughthe improved device employed in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the calving device of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view showing thedetachable joints between the rod sections transmitting thrust to therump portion of the cow whereby pulling force may be developed forextractin the calf therefrom.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view showing theoperating lever and the ratchet wheel employed in the improved calfpulling device of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the improved obstetrical device is designatedgenerally at I i and comprises a U-shaped breeching bar l2 adapted to beplaced against the rump E3 of a cow,

as shown in Figure 1, with the side arms i4, I4

of the breeching bar extending forwardly around the haunches of the cow.Secured to the respective ends of the side arms it, M are the flexiblestrap sections it and i6 adapted to extend over the back of the cow andto be secured together r at the buckle ii in the manner shown clearly inFigure 1. Rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of the breachingbar it is the rearwardly and axially extending cup member is whichreceives one end of a first rigid tubular rod l9. Designated at is asecond rigid tubular rod having a shaft element 2i secured in one endportion thereof, as by a transverse rivet 22, the shaft element 21 beingadapted to telescopically engage in the end of the first rigid rodmember l9, as shown in Figure 4. The other ends of the second rod 20 isprovided with a gripping handle 23 of rubber or similar flexiblematerial. The rods I9 and 28 together with the cup member is and handle23 form an elongated support.

Rigidly secured to the elongated support adjacent the other end thereofor rear portion of the rod 2t adjacent the handle 23 is an upstanding,substantially triangular lug 24. Pivotally connected to the lug 24, at25, are the respective parallel link bars 26, 26, and pivotallyconnected between the ends of the link bars 26, by a transverse rivet 2?is an arm 28. A yoke member 29 is disposed longitudinally above theelongated support between the lug 24 and the one end of the supportwhich is secured to the cup member 13 and has one end pivotallyconnected to the lug 24. Specifically, the yoke member comprises theopposing, outwardly bowed bar members 30, 38 rigidly secured at theirrear ends, as viewed in Figure 3, to the end of the arm 28. The forwardends of the bars 30, 30 are connected together and have secured theretothe upstanding eye member 3!.

A reel 33 is mounted on the yoke member 28 for rotary movement about anaxis disposed transversely of the elongated support. Specifically, theaxis is the rivet 32 which extends transversely through the mid-portionsof the opposing bars 353, 39, of the yoke member 29 and journaled on therivets is the reel 33, the reel having the ratchet wheel 34 rigidlysecured to one side thereof. Wound on reel 33 is a cable 35 whichextends through the eye member SI and is fastened to a hook it which inturn is secured to the obstetrical chain 31. Designated at 38 is a leverhaving the spaced arms 39, 39 rigidly secured thereto, at its lowerportion, said arms straddling the reel 33 and being pivotally connectedto the transverse rivet 32. Designated at $9 is a dog pivoted at 4| tothe lever 38 between the arms 35, 39 and arranged to engage ratchetwheel 3t, as is clearly shown in Figure 5. I'he dog ie is formed withthe upwardly extending release arm 42 which extends clear of the lever38 so that the engaging end of the dog it may be moved away fromengagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 34 responsive toclockwise rotationof the dog 40, as viewed in Figure 5. As shown inFigure 5, the upper end of the dog 49 is provided with thefinger-engaging portion 43 which may be depressed by the operators thumbto release the ratchet wheel 34. Pivoted to the yoke 29 forwardly of theratchet wheel 34, as by a transverse rivet 44 is a latch dog 45 which isbiased by a suitable spring, not shown, into locking engagement with theperiphcry of ratchet wheel 3.4 and which normally prevents said ratchetwheel from rotating in av counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFigure 5. The locking dog 45 may be swung out of engagement with respectto the periphery of ratchet wheel 34 by rotating said dog in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in Figure 5.

In using the device, th device is assembled in the manner shown inFigures 1 to 3, the forward end of rod 19 being engaged in the socketmember I8 and the breech bar 12 being disposed on the rear portion ofthe cow, in the manner shown in Figure l and being supported by theconnected strap members 15 and Hi. The second rod mem ber 29 is engagedwith the end of the first rod member is by inserting the shaft element2! into the rear end of rod member W. The obstetrical chain 3'! isfastened to a portion of the calfs body, as for example, to the calfslegs and the cable 35 is connected to th obstetrical chain 3! by meansof the hook memher 3%. cable 35 by rotating lever 38 clockwise, asviewed in Figure 2, the device being supported by grasping the handle 23with one hand while rotating the lever 38 with the other hand. It willbe noted that the torque is applied to reel 33 through the engagement ofdog 40 with ratchet wheel 34 and that the lever 38 may be rotatedthrough a substantial angle in a clockwise direction, as viewed inFigure 2, to apply tension to the cable 35. After each step of rotation,the lever 38 may be returned to its starting position, as for example,the position thereof shown in Figure 2, the ratchet wheel 34 beingmeanwhile held locked by the engagement of the .dOg

65 therewith. It is therefore possible to apply successive pullingforces to the cable 35 in a rapid and convenient manner, whereby the extraction of a calf may be rapidly accomplished Tension may then beapplied to the 4 without the necessity of unduly restraining the cowduring the process. It will be further noted that the application of thereactive thrusts developed in the rod members 20 and I9 to the rumpportion of a cow through the breech bar I2 tends to cause arching of thecows back, facilitating delivery of the calf.

While a specific embodiment of an improved calf pulling device has beendisclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed is:

A calf puller comprising an elongated support, a U-shaped breeching bardisposed transversely of said support and secured to one end thereof andadapted to transversely embrace and be secured to the rump of a cow, anupstanding lug secured to said support adjacent the other end thereof, ayoke member disposed longitudinally above said support between said lugand said one end of said support and having one end pivotally connectedto said lug, a reel mounted in said yoke member for rotary movementabout an aXis disposed transversely of said support, a cable wound uponsaid reel and having one end secured thereto an obstetrical chaincarried by the other end of said cable, and a hand actuated paying-outand reeling-in means operatively connected to said reel for effectingthe rotary movement thereof.

WORTH .L. MAT'IESON, JR

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,885,945 Ransy Nov. 1, 1932 2 .508 Frank Sept. 19, 1950FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 634,942 France Dec. 10, 1927 635,021France Dec. 10, 1927

